Special Condition
by Lordoftheghostking28
Summary: Team Rocket had developed something called 'the Death Poison'. Meanwhile, a secret orginization called G.A.T.R. is out to stop them. When Trainer Ivan gets pulled into the mystery, will he find out what Team Rocket is planning?
1. Chapter 1

** I'm a Pokѐmaniac. That's why I wrote this. So enjoy, peoples. I hope you like my action/thriller thing.**

Deep underground, in a secret base, something sinister was at hand. Something sinister and highly illegal, to be precise. This sort of offence could only be executed by Team Rocket, an organization dedicated to capturing and selling Pokémon. Although…this had nothing to do with _selling_ the Pokémon…

"I've done it!"

The yell made a Lucario in a cage by the back of the room jump and glance around. Its fur was bloodstained and missing in patches, but it didn't seem to notice. It's red gaze settled on the group of madmen gathered around a table littered with vials that smoked and gave off strange odors. One of them was holding a vial up in the air triumphantly. It was giving off a dark green smoke.

"You've done it? If you ask me, if it wasn't for Viva we wouldn't have done this." Said another scientist, pointing to a girl that had strayed from the group. Her dark brown hair was pulled tightly into a ponytail and huge black glasses hid her eyes and most of her face. She smiled curtly.

"How can you be sure you've done it if you don't test it?" Her voice was cold and emotionless.

"Well…we're 94.48% sure, at any rate."

Viva's lips twitched in what looked like a smile. She began to walk towards the caged Lucario. "We have a specimen. Let's try it."

A couple of the scientists got excited and picked up a few vials and rushed over to where Viva was standing. She pulled a Pokѐball out of her pocket.

"Go, Muk. Let's see if this works."

A sludgy Pokémon appeared on the floor, looking as evil as its master. Viva grabbed one of the vials and screwed a top on that looked a lot like a Potion top. She sprayed it at the Muk, who seemed to absorb the strange concoction.

The Lucario seemed to know what would happen next, but he was prepared. With one swift move, the cage's door was unlocked and he struggled to his feet, despite the throbbing pain in his left leg.

"This makes it even better." Viva smiled evilly. "Muk, use Poison Gas!"

Instead of the normal purple haze Muks and Grimers produced, this one was dark green. The Lucario stepped back as the haze drifted over to him.

"_Aura Shield!_"

The haze couldn't reach within five feet from the Lucario. His red eyes glared through the green fog like some sort of demon.

"This won't do." Viva said. "Muk! Sludge!"

The Lucario strained to hold the shield as the attack hit it. The sludge was also dark green, having been infected with whatever Viva had sprayed the Muk with.

It was then that the Lucario realized that the Muk itself was turning green too. And as it switched from its original color to the new one, it got stronger.

"Sludge!" Viva commanded again.

That was all the Lucario could do. The shield held as the sludge hit it, but then it faltered out. Luckily, the poison in the air wasn't as strong and the Lucario was nearly immune to it anyway.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?" One of the scientists taunted.

The Lucario began to charge an Aura Sphere as fast as it could. The sphere of energy slowly grew stronger…why didn't Viva attack? What was she waiting for? What was…

"Muk, Sludge!"

The Lucario just barely dodged the stream of sludge as it crashed into the wall. He regained his balance and once again tried to charge the Aura Sphere.

"Poison Gas!"

The gas seemed thicker so the Lucario couldn't see through it at all…it enveloped him in an endless abyss of dark green…it stung in his bloodstained fur patches as the poison entered his bloodstream…

Someone said something, but the Lucario couldn't hear what. Everything….everything was blurry…so hard to make out shapes in the fog…what…what was going on? This wasn't….ordinary poison…

The Lucario stumbled to the side and fell. Viva smiled a sick, heartless smile and announced something, making the group cheer loudly, nearly bringing the Lucario back to his senses.

The world was getting dark…but…what was that light in the distance? A huge explosion…someone screamed…there's more people…someone was walking towards him…

And then the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_** CHAPTER 2**_

Ivan was busy creeping through the undergrowth looking for anything of value.

So far he had found nothing, save a penny. His Sandslash glanced at him like he expected him to give up at any second.

"Yeah, you know what? This is crud. We're not getting anywhere." Ivan pocketed the coin and began walking towards the nearest town. "We'll see if we can get some work at one of the Pokémon centers."

Ivan had been out on his own for nearly three years now. He made money when he could, which was never often. Sometimes he and his Pokémon didn't get anything to eat for days. When they did eat, it was never very much and usually left them hungrier than before.

Along with his Sandslash, Ivan also trained a Raichu, Kadabra, Gengar, Machop and Charizard, all of which didn't have a small appetite.

"_Slash._" His Sandslash pointed into the bushes.

Ivan crouched in the tall leafy plants and glanced where he was pointing. There, among the trees, was a small Growlithe.

"Should we catch him?" Ivan asked.

"_Sand_." Sandslash shrugged.

"Maybe we can trade him for some money." Ivan continued. "Just a little, and we'll make sure he gets a good home."

"_Sandslash._"

"Ok, you ready?" Ivan gripped his only empty Pokѐball. "Let's do it."

He jumped out of the bushes. "Sandslash! Use Slash!"

The small Growlithe gave a startled cry, turned, and skittered off.

Ivan was left there looking really disappointed. "Gotta remember, no flashy entrances…"

Meanwhile his Sandslash was hitting itself with the palm of its hand. "_Sand…Slash…Sand …Slash…_"

"Ok, sorry already!" Ivan yelled. He sighed heavily. "Never mind, let's go. Maybe Nurse Joy can give us something to do."

They walked off down the road. When the Pokémon center was barely in sight, someone jumped out of the bushes that surrounded the road.

"Whoa! Hey, kid! What're you doing here?" The Hiker exclaimed. "Don't startle me like that!"

"Sorry, we were just on our way to-"

"Oh, you're going nowhere, not before I battle you." The Hiker dramatically pulled a Pokѐball from his belt. "I challenge you!"

Ivan glanced nervously at the hiker and at the Pokémon center that was a little ways off. "Um…I don't-"

"Go, Golem!"

Ivan was suddenly staring into the huge Pokémon's eyes as it glared down at him. "That's a big Golem…"

"_Slash._" Sandslash backed behind him. Ivan sighed and pulled another Pokѐball from his belt. "Go, Charizard!"

His Charizard appeared, breathing flames everywhere. Ivan just barely managed to keep him from catching the brush on fire.

"Golem! Use Magnitude!" The Hiker yelled.

"Charizard! Watch out!" Ivan screamed, turning away to avoid watching his Pokémon get pummeled.

Charizard roared loudly and Ivan turned around. "Charizard! Fire Spin!"

A swirling vortex of flame engulfed the Golem, but it didn't seem effected by the attack.

"Magnitude!" The Hiker commanded again.

"RETURN!" Ivan shouted, throwing the Pokѐball. The Magnitude hit where Charizard would have been standing seconds before.

"Come on, kid, this isn't hard." The Hiker said. "I wasn't even warmed up yet."

Ivan glanced at the Pokémon center in the distance again. He drew out another Pokѐball and more or less said, "KADABRA! COME ON! USE TELEPORT! GET US OUT OF HERE!"

"Hey-!" The Hiker said in a rage, but they were already gone.

Ivan always hated teleporting because it made him feel like he was going to throw up. And throw up he did. What he ate for a pitiful breakfast that morning came right back up.

"_Kadabra…_" his Kadabra sighed.

"Sorry…" Ivan gasped.

Eventually Nurse Joy came out of the center to see why a small kid was puking his guts out. After he told her what happened and why he needed food for him and his Pokémon, she took them all inside, healed the Pokémon, and gave them all directions to the soup kitchen down the road.

"Really? A soup kitchen?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, but watch out. There can be some pretty bad people down there." Joy said. "Be careful."

"I will." Ivan recalled his Kadabra and Sandslash into their Pokѐballs and stashed them in his backpack that looked like at any second it'd fall apart.

It was the best soup Ivan had ever tasted. His Pokémon got free Pokémon food stuff, and they seemed pretty happy about it too. They ate so much they could hardly move.

"I'm so tired…" Ivan groaned. "Why does soup have to be so good…?"

"Hey, kid. Can we sit here?"

Ivan opened his eyes to see a few people dressed in black standing next to him. "Uh, sure, yeah." He got up and shooed his Pokémon away from the table.

"Kid, how much you want for the Gengar?" One of the people asked.

"Um, he's not for sale." Ivan said. "Never will be either."

"That's a shame, I was willing to pay thousands."

Ivan stared at the man like he was crazy. "You're crazy." He finally said.

"Nope. Here's the money. See? In cash." The man drew out a thick wad of cash. "Trade ya right now."

"No, he's still not for sale." Ivan recalled his Pokémon and dropped the Pokѐballs in his backpack.

The man grabbed his arm as he was about to drop Machop's Pokѐball into the bag. "Are you sure you want to do this? You don't want Team Rocket as an enemy…"

Ivan's eyes grew wide and he pulled away from the man. "No! You…you kill Pokémon! You sell them to terrible people! You..you…"

The people at the table stood up and drew Pokѐballs out of their pockets.

"One last time, kid." The man said dangerously. "Give me the Gengar and no one gets hurt."

That was the same moment that most of the people in the soup kitchen stood up and drew Pokѐballs out of _their_ pockets. "Team Rocket!" An old man in the back of the room yelled. "Get out of here!"

The Rockets glared at everyone but didn't back down. "This is none of your business." The man said calmly.

"It is too our business if you start picking on kids!" A woman yelled. "And if you don't step down now my Pikachu 'll lay some serious hurt on you!"

The Rockets reluctantly shuffled to the door. Once they were out of it, they ran like there was no tomorrow.

"You ok, kid?" Asked a tall man in a top hat. "They didn't hurt you?"

"No…" Ivan stuttered. "Will they be back?"

"If they do turn up again, we'll get them." The man said.

Ivan glanced at his smart suit he wore and noticed the letters G.A.T.R. sewn into one of the pockets over a picture of a alligator with razor sharp teeth.

"What does that mean?" Ivan asked, but the man had turned and began walking away.

That night Ivan rented a room in the hotel next to the Center, promising to pay the owner back by working for him for a while. He had searched on the internet for what G.A.T.R. stood for, but he had come across nothing except that they were against Team Rocket…

…and were planning to overthrow them in any means possible.


	3. Chapter 3

_** CHAPTER 3**_

Ivan managed to win a battle against a Bird Catcher the next morning. With the award money, he had enough to pay back the hotel and buy some food for himself and his Pokémon, although he did work a few hours for the hotel manager too. The day started off very good.

"All right, how about we head into the woods and train?" Ivan asked his Pokémon.

They all agreed at the same time and they trooped out into the woods in a huge group. Once they were a good ways into the place, Ivan began looking around tying to find anything worthy of battling them.

"Hey, kid! You looking for a battle?"

A very skinny kid clad in jeans and a T-shirt came flying out of a tree and landed directly in front of Ivan. He drew a Pokѐball from his belt. "You are, aren't you? Ok, then! Go, Mankey!"

Ivan quickly glanced at his Pokémon. "Um…go, Gengar…"

"Mankey! Use Homing Uppercut!" The kid commanded.

"Gengar! Dodge and use Hypnosis!" Ivan shouted.

The Gengar easily dodged the uppercut and stared into the Mankey's eyes. Its eyelids began to droop and before long it was snoring like there was no tomorrow.

"Good! Gengar, use Dream Eater!" Ivan cheered.

It was over in seconds. The kid recalled his Mankey. "I guess I owe you money…"

Ivan happily walked away with one hundred and fifty dollars. "We can eat dinner tonight!" He cheered.

The skinny kid in the T-Shirt and jeans watched him go. "What did he mean by that?" He muttered to himself. "Is he really that poor?"

The kid shrugged; happy for the first time in his life that he had lost and in doing so helped someone out.

** LATER…**

It had to be past three in the afternoon, but Ivan and his Pokémon didn't stop with the training. All morning and afternoon they had trained fiercely and hard, only taking a few breaks for the Pokémon Center and snacks.

"_Rai_," Raichu said finally. "_Rai, Raichu._"

"Training starting to get tiresome again?" Ivan asked. "Ok, break time!"

All his Pokémon came walking over and gathered into a small circle. Ivan reached into his backpack and pulled out some food. "Maybe if I get some more money I can get a better backpack…"

"_Char_!" Charizard agreed.

There was the sound of a large stick snapping in the bushes nearby. Ivan glanced around Sandslash's head and tried to make out what was in the bushes. "Uh…anyone there…?"

Another stick snapped, this time to the left of them. Ivan stood up. "Who's there?"

That was when a bush closest to him shook violently. Ivan backed away, nearly tripping over his own legs. "Get ready, guys! We may have a fight!"

The bush shook for about a full twenty seconds before an unusually small Growlithe tumbled out of it with a yelp. It landed on his stomach and lay there for a few seconds.

"Aren't you that Growlithe I saw earlier?" Ivan asked.

The Growlithe shot to its feet and glanced at him and the Pokémon. "_Lithe…_" It growled.

"Are you lost? Do you belong to anyone?" Ivan asked.

The Growlithe barred its teeth and then shot through the bushes.

"Hey…!"

Ivan stood there, looking where the Growlithe had vanished. "Well, I guess you don't want to join us…"

"_Kadabra_." Kadabra said, reminding Ivan that he could only carry six Pokѐmon at one time.

"I know the rules." Ivan said. "But don't worry, I'll find a way to bend them so I can train you all at once."

His Pokémon went back to eating and muttering among themselves.

** LATER….**

It was beginning to get dark. Dark enough to make Charizard and Raichu glow, at any rate.

"Ok, then. Let's go back." Ivan said. "Tomorrow we can train a bit more, and challenge some people!"

He turned in a full circle. "Um..did anyone remember the way we took to get here?"

"_Oh, chop…_" Machop swore.

"Ok, I think it was this way…" Ivan started walking off in a random direction. "Eventually the forest will thin out, anyway."

They walked for about ten minuets before they heard voices. "Quickly, over here!" Ivan ducked behind some trees, his Pokémon following. Charizard and Raichu did their best to not glow.

The voices were louder, but Ivan still couldn't figure out what they were saying. He caught snitches of sentences:…Team Rocket….poison….Special Conditions….

And then the thing that really made him listen harder: G.A.T.R.

The people talking…there were two of them..stopped about a car length from where Ivan and his Pokémon were hiding. Ivan could make out more of their conversation now.

"…it Poisons, Burns, Paralyzes, and puts them to Sleep." Said the first guy. "And the best part is that it continues even after getting healed."

"But what if the Pokémon doesn't get healed?" said the second guy.

"That's the beauty of it." The first guy laughed. Ivan strained to hear what he said next, but that proved impossible.

"Wow." The second guy said. "How did the G.A.T.R. find out about it, then?"

"Must have been a mole in the place." The first guy growled. "Whoever it was ratted us out. Luckily, they only stormed one lab…"

Ivan heard enough to know that these people meant business. As quietly as he could, he recalled his Pokémon, put the Pokѐballs in his backpack, and tried to plan an escape.

"As soon as we find out who and where those G.A.T.R. people are, we're taking them out." The second guy said.

"Who knows, the world may never hear of them again…" The first guy said evilly.

Ivan chose that moment to burst out of the bushes and run as fast as he could without tripping over his own feet and breaking his neck.

"Hey, who's that?" The first guy shouted. "Get him!"

Ivan changed direction and continued running. Branches and vines snagged at his hair but he didn't even notice. All that mattered was getting safely back to the Center, wherever it was.

"It's an G.A.T.R. member!" The second guy yelled.

Ivan barely kept himself from tripping over a log. He regained his balance and continued running. His muscles began to burn. He wondered how long he could keep it up…

"Get down!"

Someone shoved Ivan to the ground. He didn't protest as whoever it was called out, "Eclipse, Teleport!"

** ONE TELEPORTATION LATER…**

Ivan was throwing his guts up while his mysterious rescuer rewarded their Espeon with a berry. They had teleported to directly outside the Pokémon Center, and people were starting to come and investigate why a kid was barfing on the front mat.

"I'm ok…" Ivan groaned. "Really, go back to your lives…"

When the small group of people disbanded, he finally got a look at his rescuer.

The first thing that he noticed and slightly ticked him off was…Holy crap, she's a _girl_!

She was wearing black jeans and a black hoodie with the hood pulled up, but she pulled the hood back, revealing dark brown hair in a ponytail that reached to the middle of her back. She had thick black glasses on, making her look a bit like some scientist. Forming an X in her ponytail's scrunchie were black and red pens. Her Espeon curled around her legs affectionately like a cat. The girl's icy blue eyes seemed to stare directly into Ivan's soul.

"What were you doing out there?" She demanded. "Don't you know that that forest is dangerous at night?"

"Well…I always thought you'd get attacked by Pokémon…" Ivan stuttered.

"Until recently it was like that." The girl said curtly. "Don't go wondering back there again."

"What's the G.A.T.R.?" Ivan asked. "Those Team Rocket people were talking about it…"

The girl leaned down towards him. Ivan then noticed how tall she actually was.

"Never," The girl hissed. "never mention that again. Not to anyone. It's dangerous for you and for others involved in it."

Ivan thought he imagined it, but when she turned to teleport out, he thought he saw the G.A.T.R. symbol of the alligator emblazed on the hoodie's front.


	4. Chapter 4

_**CHAPTER 4**_

"What exacally is G.A.T.R.?" Ivan wondered, throwing a Pokѐball into the air and catching it again. "Who are its members, and what do they do?"

"_Rai_." Raichu shrugged.

"I guess our best guess for right now is that they're the good guys." Ivan concluded. "They better be, at any rate."

He and his Pokémon continued exploring Saffron City. It was nice and all, but the people seemed…tense. Ivan wondered if Team Rocket had something to do with it. Now that he thought about it, there were a lot of people wearing black around…

"Man, I'm overreacting." Ivan muttered to himself.

His Gengar smiled evilly and snickered, but Ivan paid it no attention. He was too busy watching for anyone that was from Team Rocket or G.A.T.R.

"Does that guy over there looks suspicious?" Ivan asked Machop.

All his Pokémon rolled their eyes and began pushing Ivan towards the nearest Pokémon Center.

"Why are we going here?" Ivan asked.

"_Slash_." Sandslash said. "_SANDSLASH!_"

"Sorry, I'm just cautious." Ivan muttered. "After what happened last night, I just can't get over how evil they really are."

Their mini argument was cut off by a loud yell of, "SILPH CO.'S UNDER ATTACK!"

Ivan spun around to see a woman in a business suit come tearing around the corner. "Team Rocket!" She yelled. They've got prisoners!"

"Come on guys!" Ivan darted towards the tallest building in the history of ever, practically. There was a guard, but he was fast asleep…typical.

Ivan and his Pokémon carefully crept inside. Silph Co. was huge, and they were on just one floor.

"Ok, I'll call you back out if I need help." Ivan promised, recalling his Pokémon into the Pokѐballs. "But for right now, I think this is a job for one person."

Ivan climbed the stairs onto the second floor. He was about to go around a corner when he heard voices.

"Team Rocket…again. When will they learn? I mean, day after day, evil plot after evil plot…don't they get that we always prevail in the end?"

Ivan recognized the voice of the girl he had met the night before. He held his breath and didn't dare move.

"Remember the last one was nearly a success." Said another voice, this one a bit older and male.

"And it still is a success." Came yet another voice, this one female. "We still can't rid your Lucario of the Death Poison."

"Kaylee, we still won." Came the girl's voice, sharp and angered. "And I will stop at nothing to restore my Lucario to health, Jake."

There was a slight pause.

"Ghost, we've tried everything." Said the male's voice. Ivan figured that that was Jake. "The only thing we can do is constantly keep him in the care of Nurse Joy."

There was yet another pause.

"I don't know about you, but I'm going to stop Team Rocket, either you're with me or not." Came Ghost's voice.

There was some murmured agreement and the group of three walked off into a room.

Ivan turned around the corner to see that they had vanished into an elevator, and that elevator was headed for the fifth floor.

"Death Poison…?" Ivan muttered to himself as he searched the second floor for any signs of life. "Was that what the two people in the woods were talking about?"

He was cut off as someone crossed directly into his path.

"Hey!" The man yelled, staggering backwards. He was wearing all black with a giant red R on the front of his shirt. "Intruder!"

"Go, Charizard!" Ivan screamed.

"Oh, so you want to play this game?" The Rocket member sneered. "Go, Muk!"

Instead of the normal purple Muks usually were, this one was dark green. It glared at Ivan and his Charizard.

"FLAMETHROWER!" Ivan commanded.

His Charizard flamethrower-ed the Muk until it was a pile of sludge. The Rocket member recalled his Pokémon with a hiss of annoyance. "I'll be back…" he promised as he ran off.

"I doubt that." Ivan smirked. "Return, Charizard!"

Soon he was darting up the stairs two at a time, determined to meet up with whoever Jake, Ghost and Kaylee were.

Just as Ivan exited the stairwell he ran smack into someone.

"Hey!" Ivan squeaked as he fell back onto his butt.

"You again?"

Ivan looked up into Ghost's shocked and startled face. "What…I told you to…"

"Yeah, I know." Ivan muttered. "But…what's the Death Poison?"

"Nothing." Ghost's features hardened. "Get out of here while you can. It's dangerous."

"Your name is Ghost, right?" Ivan asked.

"It's GhostKing." She glared at him. "Get out."

"But I want to help." Ivan protested. "I have skilled Pokémon! I just challenged and defeated a Rocket member downstairs!"

GhostKing hissed with annoyance, "Fine. But we're not making any breaks for the Pokémon Center, you hear me?"

"Yeah." Ivan said. "So why did Team Rocket take this place over?"

"I don't know." GhostKing glanced around. "It's big, has workers and technology, so I have no freaken' idea."

Ivan caught the sarcasm in her voice but ignored it. "So…what does G.A.T.R. stand for?"

GhostKing shot him a venomous glare. "That's classified."

"Can you tell me what Death Poison is?"

GhostKing's icy blue eyes hardened; she clenched her fists and stopped walking. She stared at the ground for a long time.

"Do you know…" She began. "what it's like…to have a friend betray you?"

Ivan shook his head. "No." He admitted.

"Good." GhostKing hissed. "It's something no one should go through."

"What happened?" Ivan asked before he realized he had said anything.

"Back a while ago…one of my assistants and I were on a mission to find and defeat any Rocket member we saw in the Viridian Forest. There we confronted two members, but one of them acted relieved to see us. 'You're here, Jonathan!' one of them said. I later found out her name was Viva…the one that poisoned my Lucario with the Death Poison.

"I turned to Jonathan and asked, 'what's going on? How do you know her?' and he said to me, 'You're so blind! You can't tell I've been working for Team Rocket this entire time? G.A.T.R. is worse than I originally thought. And how could you think I was actually your friend? You're the most annoying, insignificant, useless person on the face of the planet!'"

GhostKing ground her teeth and clenched a Pokѐball in her right hand. "I trusted him with my life." She hissed. "He was also my only friend."

Ivan couldn't begin to imagine how GhostKing was feeling, but he didn't pry. "So…who's Viva?"

"Apparently she's Jonathan's true friend." GhostKing growled. "And lead scientist. Together, they mainly developed the Death Poison."

"What is-"

"It Burns, Paralyzes, Poisons and puts the Pokémon to Sleep. The condition can't be removed, even after healing." GhostKing said. "and the condition is, at the moment, killing my Lucario."

There was a long pause.

"While I'm telling you this I may as well tell you what G.A.T.R. stands for."

"What does it stand for?" Ivan asked.

"If I tell you, you either have to join us, or I kill you."

"What!"

"It's the rules."

"Ok, then, tell me!"

"Gathering Against Team Rocket. The alligator symbolizes our strength and ferocity." GhostKing said. "It's not that much of a secret name or anything, but it can reveal a lot."

That was the moment an Umbreon stuck its head around a corner up ahead of them and stood deathly still.

"It's all right." GhostKing assured it. "He's a…friend."

The Umbreon's piercing red gaze never left Ivan as it walked to its master. GhostKing scratched it behind its ears. "Did you find anything?"

"_Umbreon._" The Umbreon said, glancing back at the corner it had turned from. Skittering around the corner came a very small Growlithe.

"Hey…that's the Growlithe I've been seeing in the woods!" Ivan exclaimed.

"What is it, Skeebee?" GhostKing asked.

The Growlithe, apparently named Skeebee, dropped something at her feet. GhostKing picked whatever it was up. "A Pokѐball?"

Skeebee yipped and ran in a circle. GhostKing glanced from Skeebee to the ball and back again. "You…want to fetch?"

Skeebee rolled his eyes and sat there.

"Wait…" GhostKing looked at the Pokѐball closely. "Is this…Jake's?"

Skeebee barked.

"Team Rocket?" GhostKing's eyes got wide. "Where was he last?"

Skeebee yipped again and darted off.

"Ok, Dusk…and Pokémon kid who is stalking me…come on." GhostKing ran after her Growlithe.

"My name's Ivan!" Ivan hissed. He struggled to catch up to GhostKing's fast pace. "So what other Pokémon do you have?"

"A Typhlosion named Ember, an Espeon named Eclipse, a Pidgeot named Stripes, and a Lucario who doesn't want a nickname. You've already met Skeebee and Dusk." GhostKing said as they ran down another hall.

"I've got a Raichu, Sandslash, Kadabra, Gengar, Machop and Charizard." Ivan managed to say. His left side was cramping up and GhostKing didn't look like she was about to stop running, and neither did Skeebee or Dusk.

"Good. We might need them." GhostKing said. They rounded a corner and entered a small room that held two Rocket members.

"Intruders!" One of them shouted. "Go, Grimer!"

"Dusk…Skeebee! Get ready!" GhostKing commanded.

"Skeebee? What kind of a name is-" the Rocket member laughed.

"FIRE BLAST!"

The Grimer didn't have time to react. It fainted from the sheer power of Skeebee's attack. The Rocket member stopped laughing and gaped. "Wh…wh…what?"

"And if you don't get out of here there's more where that came from." GhostKing hissed.

The Rocket recalled his Grimer and sent out a Zubat. Ivan was ready to join in the battle and called out Sandslash.

The second Rocket member revealed his Pokémon—a green Muk—and the battle began.

"Sandslash! Use Slash!" Ivan commanded.

"Skeebee! Flamethrower!"

"Zubat! Supersonic!"

"Muk! Poison Gas!"

All the attacks were shouted at the same time, and the Pokémon charged forward. Ivan's Sandslash slashed at the Zubat, catching it across its wing and sending it into a short spiral towards the ground. It flew back into the air and used its attack, but Sandslash dodged to the side.

Skeebee unleashed a torrent of flames at the Muk, Burning it but not knocking it out. The Muk glared at Skeebee and suddenly a dark green haze floated near him. Skeebee whined and backed up until his back was against the wall.

"SKEEBEE!" GhostKing shouted, raising Skeebee's Pokѐball. "Skeebee! Re-"

"No you don't!" The Rocket member knocked the Pokѐball out of her hand and sent it rolling into a corner.

"YOU-" GhostKing's blue eyes seemed to shoot ice. "Dusk! Finish the Muk off with Night Shade!"

Now it was the Rocket member's turn to be shocked. GhostKing advanced towards him with thoughts of revenge, but he got the message and ran, abandoning his Muk.

Meanwhile Ivan was still coaching his Sandslash. "Use Dig!" He suggested.

His Sandslash dug a hole and vanished into it, leaving the Zubat with its attacks that were useless as long as its opponent was out of sight.

"Now!" Ivan shouted, and Sandslash sprang out of the ground and slashed at the Zubat; sending it crashing to the ground where it didn't get up. The Rocket member hissed in annoyance and recalled his fainted Pokémon. "I'll be back!" He shouted evilly before running after the other Rocket.

"Ha! We got them, didn't we, GhostKing?" Ivan cheered. He turned to GhostKing and his smile vanished. "Uh…GhostKing?"

GhostKing gathered Skeebee in her arms and stood up quickly. Dusk glanced upwards at her, curiosity and fear in his eyes. "_Umbreon…?_"

"We need to get out of here." GhostKing said. "Now! Skeebee has the Death Poison!"


	5. Chapter 5

_**CHAPTER 5**_

Ivan, GhostKing and Dusk darted down the stairs as fast as they could go. Along the way from the second floor to the Pokémon Center, the group met up with GhostKing's Espeon, who joined them and escorted them to the Center, but then took off again towards Silph Co. with Dusk.

They tore into the Center's lobby. "Nurse Joy!" GhostKing gasped. "It's happened again!"

Nurse Joy ran up to them, worry and fear in her eyes. "Oh no! This is the sixth one today!"

GhostKing visibly paled. "Have you found a cure?"

Joy bit her lower lip. "N…not yet. We've got every expert, trainer and Gym Leader that can spare some time helping our scientists. We've come up with a few possible ideas, but nothing beyond that-"

"How is he?" GhostKing demanded. "My Lucario?"

"He's still alive, at least." Joy said after a slight pause. "But the poison had a greater effect on him than most of the other Pokémon."

"How bad?"

"I'll put it this way: Sooner or later we may have to request a tombstone in Pokémon Tower."

GhostKing glanced at Skeebee, who was beginning to whimper a high pitched whimper in his sleep, like a small puppy having a dream. "Don't worry, you'll survive." GhostKing whispered. "I won't let you die…"

"You should follow me." Joy said.

Ivan and GhostKing followed Nurse Joy back behind the receptionist's desk to a small bookshelf. Joy pulled a book halfway out of the shelf, and the entire thing swung inwards to reveal a passage going down.

They followed the stairs and came face to face with a Hitmonchan, who was apparently on guard duty, but once he saw Nurse Joy he stepped aside.

The room they entered in lead off into four ways. But before they could enter any room a skinny teen ran up to them. "Nurse Joy, there was ah Zubat brought here earlier…it also had th' poison so Ah put it wit Trevor's group."

Ivan did a double take at the teen. "Aren't you…Bill? The Pokѐmaniac? "

"Yah. An' you are?" Bill asked.

"I'm Ivan." Ivan said. "GhostKing's Growlithe's been poisoned."

"Dis is your second Pokémon with'n three days, King!" Bill said. Ivan detected the worry and fear in his voice. "Ah know you're determined teh stop Team Rocket, but th's is almost too risky!"

"If I didn't do what I did then many other Pokémon may have been infected too." GhostKing retorted. "Just take the Growlithe and do what you can!"

Bill took Skeebee from her. "Didn' Ah give you th's here li'l guy?"

GhostKing nodded. "I named him Skeebee. Once he was level 25 but that was the distant past."

"Wha' lev'l is he now?" Bill asked, pulling a Potion out of his pocket.

"Level 67."

Bill nearly dropped Skeebee and the Potion. "Dang, ya must train day 'n' night! On teh other hand…bein' a high lev'l raises defense…which'll keep him from fainting! For ah while, at any rate…" He used the Potion on Skeebee.

"Can I see my Lucario?"

"Ah dunno, that ain't up teh me." Bill said. "Ya have teh ask Trevor."

That was when a tall kid came around the corner. He wore a red hat that covered his crazy brown hair, blue jeans, and a green vest over a tan shirt. He was holding a Pokѐball in his hand and seemed very worried. "Bill, we're out of Potions!"

"Aw, shoot." Bill muttered, dumping Skeebee in Ivan's arms. "Gotta run. Be back soon!"

Ivan glanced at Skeebee uncertainly. GhostKing took him and scratched him behind his ears. "You can do it, Skeebee. It isn't unlike the battle we had a few days ago…"

"I'm Trevor." Trevor said, walking over to Ivan. "I'm in charge of the higher levels that have the Poison, including the Lucario you guys want to see."

"Can I see him?" GhostKing asked. "He was the one in Team Rocket's base and the one that lead us there."

"Yeah. To tell you the truth, I wasn't sure he'd make it this far. I had to use a Super Potion every fifteen minuets sense he got here, until Joy gave me permission to just put him in the healer thing. Sabrina even switched groups to help me-"

GhostKing tore into the room before Trevor could finish.

"She's been through a lot." Ivan muttered.

"I think so." Trevor said. "So what are your names?"

"I'm Ivan, and that's GhostKing." Ivan said. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Actually, yes. Keep an eye on all the Pokémon in that room until I get back. I have two Potions left over in case you need them." Trevor bolted for the stairs. "I should go help Bill carry stuff down here; he isn't one of the coordinated sort…"

Ivan turned and went into the room that GhostKing had vanished into. There were couches and cushions covering the ground, most of them occupied by Pokémon infected with the Death Poison. There was one of the healing machines that Nurse Joy constantly used up in the public part of the Center, only this one was designed to heal Pokémon if they weren't in a Pokѐball. GhostKing was standing next to it, still holding Skeebee, and looking sadly at the Lucario that was lying inside it.

"I don't know if I could ever forgive Team Rocket." GhostKing hissed. "Not after what happened and what they did, even before this Death Poison."

"Something else happened?" Ivan asked before he realized he had said anything.

"About a year ago…that was what persuaded me to join G.A.T.R.." GhostKing sighed. "And of course when I joined G.A.T.R. Jonathan did the same, and that lead to this."

"So…"

"I had an Eevee named Lucky." GhostKing said. "He was hardly level 10, newly hatched, and from out of nowhere in Viridian Forest came a Rocket member with a level 32 Rhyhorn. The member demanded that I hand Lucky over, but of course I refused. So he…"

Ivan began to wonder how GhostKing could restrain herself from running into Silph Co. and beating every Rocket up until they didn't know which way was down anymore. He suddenly began to realize how fortunate he had been over the years.

GhostKing's eyes seemed ready to shoot ice. She gently rubbed Skeebee's fur, never taking her eyes off her motionless Lucario. "If I lose my Lucario and Growlithe to the Rockets I swear I'll run in there and defeat them all single handedly."

Ivan nodded. "I think I'll join G.A.T.R. now."

"You better, because if you didn't, I'd have to kill you." GhostKing said sadly. "It's a rule."

Someone entered the room and Ivan jumped as he recognized one of the Gym leaders he had challenged and successfully beaten. "Sabrina?"

Sabrina fixed him with a steely glare. "Hello again, Ivan. I must admit, I didn't expect to see you here, although I heard you joined G.A.T.R.."

"Sabrina's a member too." GhostKing said. "She's a valuable addition to the group."

"I've found a way to stall the Poison slightly." Sabrina said. "Give me your Growlithe and I'll show you."

GhostKing handed Skeebee over to Sabrina and the three left the room. Ivan quickly followed.

They came to a small room that was only occupied by a Zubat and another Gym leader.

"Misty, we have another infected." Sabrina said.

"Oh no." Misty said, getting a look at Skeebee. "And he's so cute too!"

"How do you stall the poison?" GhostKing asked.

"Well, we discovered this quite by accident." Misty said. "We found out if the Pokémon is Frozen it stalls the poison slightly. But it's up to you, of course. Although we haven't had much luck freezing Fire Pokémon."

"If you can, can you put him in another healing chamber?" GhostKing asked. "I would prefer that, but if you can't, I'll give you some money so you can-"

"We except no money." Sabrina said. "This is free for anyone, because sooner or later Team Rocket will pay."

"Then I will go back to Silph and make them pay this instant." GhostKing said, looking fiercely determined. "I don't know how they can do this, but I'll make sure that they don't get further with this!"

"Two of your Pokémon have been poisoned, King!" Misty said. "This is bad both for them, and for us!"

"I know what to watch out for now." GhostKing hissed. "I know how to avoid them."

"I'll go too." Ivan added. "Together we have a fair amount of Pokémon."

There was a moment of complete silence. Then Sabrina reached into her pocket and drew out what looked like a claw. "Take this, then. It's a Quick Claw, guaranteed to let your Pokémon strike first, and hard."


	6. Chapter 6

_** CHAPTER 6**_

GhostKing and Ivan entered back into Silph Co. to find two other trainers waiting for them, along with twelve Pokémon roaming around near the stairs.

"Kaylee…Jake…this is Ivan." GhostKing said, handing Jake his Pokѐball that Skeebee had found earlier. "We're going to take out Team Rocket together."

Kaylee was a short girl with black hair trimmed at different lengths around her head. Her eyes were the color of rich soil and were hardened with worry and slight anger. She was wearing black, just like GhostKing, with the G.A.T.R. logo on the upper pocket of her shirt. She had a small backpack slung over one shoulder.

Jake was a bit taller, nearly GhostKing's height. He had short blonde hair and green eyes, and wore glasses and braces, which made him look a bit like a nerd. He too was wearing all black, matching the other two G.A.T.R. members.

"Great, we need all the extra people we can get." Kaylee said. "But…GhostKing…what did you tell him about us?"

"Everything. I joined." Ivan said for himself. "So what Pokémon do you have?"

Kaylee whistled loudly and her Pokémon rushed to her side. She had an impressive Empoleon, Lucario, Garchomp, Milotic, Grovyle and Dusknoir, all of whom looked ready to kick Team Rocket's butt.

Jake was a whole different story. He only had three Pokémon, but those three could easily defeat Ivan's six…twenty times over. Jake had a Gyarados, Dragonite and Feraligatr, all higher than level 89.

"So can we go now?" GhostKing asked impatiently. "We have an evil band of nerds to stop, if you haven't noticed."

The four of them recalled any Pokémon and darted up the stairs. As they were reaching the third flight Kaylee gasped out, "Oh, for crying out loud! There's an elevator! Let's take it!"

Everyone crammed themselves into the small elevator. GhostKing hit the button for the fifth floor and the car lurched upwards.

"What do you think will be waiting for us at the top?" Kaylee asked worriedly.

"A coffee maker and doughnuts." Jake said sarcastically.

"Be on your guard." GhostKing advised. "The Rockets seem to be getting more powerful as we ascended the stairs."

The elevator car lurched and stopped. The lights flickered on the roof.

"Wha…what's…" Ivan didn't get a chance to finish as the car gave another lurch and began freefalling.

"KADABRA! TELEPORT!" Ivan screamed, throwing the Pokѐball he had clutched in his hand.

They went from falling to their death to landing heavily on the cement sidewalk outside the Pokémon Center.

"AND THAT IS EXACALLY WHY I NEVER TAKE THE ELEVATOR!" GhostKing screamed, getting shakily to her feet. "We could have _died_!"

"Thanks, Kadabra, you saved our lives." Kaylee gasped. "Ivan, when this crisis is over I swear I'll buy you a ton of Rare Candies or something…"

Ivan still hadn't gotten to his feet. "What do you think happened?" He stuttered.

"No doubt they cut the cable." Jake said. "I guess the only way is the stairs."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." GhostKing hissed.

After everyone recovered from the near-death experience, they headed back to Silph. GhostKing whistled loudly when they entered the building; calling to her all of her Pokémon, save her Lucario and Growlithe. She also attracted a Rocket member.

"I…Intruders!" He yelled. "Go, Grimer!" A dark green Grimer appeared, glaring at the G.A.T.R. members and their Pokémon.

"Go, Eclipse!" GhostKing shouted. Her Espeon leapt forward and stared down the Grimer. "Show him we mean business. Psychic!"

Eclipse hit the Grimer with the Psychic attack and before anyone could confirm what had happened, the Grimer collapsed on the ground. The Rocket member recalled his Pokémon and backed away from the group slowly. "Y…you won't stop us that easily!"

"I think we will." Jake said, taking a few menacing steps toward the member. "What are you doing here?"

"T….that's classified!" The member turned and ran off through the doors.

There was complete silence save Eclipse's happy purring as she wove around her trainer's legs.

"Come on. The sooner we get rid of them, the better." Ivan turned towards the stairs while calling each of his Pokémon to follow. "And…didn't they have hostages?"

"Yeah." Kaylee confirmed. "We need to make them our top priority for right now. Save them and then drive Team Rocket out of here."

"Does anyone know what Silph could have done to attract Team Rocket?" Ivan asked. "Have they been working on something important?"

"I don't know, but if it is related to that, then this whole thing just became more dangerous." GhostKing said. "I found a note written by a Rocket that concerned Mewtwo a few days ago..."

Everyone stopped climbing the stairs. "Mewtwo…?" Jake finally asked in a hoarse whisper. "The most difficult Pokémon to ever capture?"

"No, Jake. The easiest and most friendly Pokémon in the universe." Kaylee said sarcastically. "What do you think?"

"I think we need to keep climbing the stairs and fight any Rocket along the way to the top floor." Ivan said. "We can work our way up, drive them off, and save people at the same time."

"Good enough for me." GhostKing said. "Now we just need to do this as fast as we can. Within the next three hours sounds good to me."

They searched the entire second floor to find no one, save a TM that contained Sunny Day.

"Maybe another G.A.T.R. member could use it…" GhostKing put the TM in her TM case.

The third, fourth, and fifth floors were equally deserted. Although the trainers sort of feared running into any people, they wanted to at the same time, due to the quiet.

"_Umbreon…_" Dusk exclaimed, running over into one of the office cubicles. The G.A.T.R. members quickly followed.

There, huddled behind a chair, was a Silph worker, looking scared out of his mind.

"Are you ok?" Ivan asked. "We're not from Team Rocket."

"Y…you're driving them off by yourselves?" The worker said, looking terribly surprised.

"We're trying to." Kaylee said. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine…" The worker was still deathly pale.

"Can you do us a favor?" GhostKing asked. "What attracted Team Rocket here in the first place?"

"We…we were working on a Pokѐball that would catch anything without fail…" The worker said. "And…then they showed up, saying that they'd take it and no one gets hurt."

A wave of understanding swept over Ivan along with a sense of dread. "They're going to use the Pokѐball to catch Mewtwo." He said, although he needn't say it. His other companions seemed to realize it too.

"Our president is up on the 11th floor." The worker continued. "If you get to him, I'm sure the Rockets will go away."

"We'll do that. You need to get out of here." Kaylee said. "As far as we know, there's no Rockets on the lower floors."

"Thank you!" The worker said, running for the stairs.

"You know what this means, right?" Jake asked. "We need to make sure Silph doesn't give in until we get to the president."

"Hopefully we can scare some of the Rockets into scaring the others so they're occupied with something besides getting the Pokѐball." Ivan suggested.

"Sounds good to me." GhostKing said. "Hurry. We can't linger very long."


	7. Chapter 7

_** CHAPTER 7**_

They ran into trouble on the 10th floor. As soon as they set foot on the second to last floor at least ten Rockets burst from the working cubicles and challenged them. The G.A.T.R. members, of course, challenged them right back.

"Raichu! Use Flash!" Ivan commanded.

His companions and their Pokémon only had a few milliseconds to look away as a blinding flash lit the room. Luckily, most of the Rocket's Pokémon were now blinded and confused.

"Feraligatr! Use Bite!" Jake commanded.

The entire battle of Ten Rockets; Thirty Pokémon V.S. Three G.A.T.R. Trainers; Twenty One Pokémon was over in seconds. The victors were the Three G.A.T.R. Trainers and their Twenty One Pokémon.

"Now get out of here before we kick you out!" GhostKing yelled.

The Rockets didn't argue and were gone within five seconds. Now the tenth floor was equally deserted as the bottom nine.

"Does it concern anyone on how easy these guys are to beat?" Ivan asked about fifteen seconds later.

"Didn't notice." Kaylee said. "Maybe the real challenge is on the 11th floor."

"And maybe we'll get pummeled." Jake muttered, but no one really heard him.

"Come on, everyone. To the top floor.' GhostKing started for the stairs, which were close by. Her Pokémon crowded around her as she started going up the stairs two at a time.

"Might as well follow." Ivan followed her.

Everyone's first thought as they reached the 11th floor was: empty.

If anything, it was just like the bottom ten flights after they rid them of Rocket members, of course.

"Everyone on guard." GhostKing advised, beginning to creep forward to glance around the corner. She motioned to everyone it was safe.

They followed the hall for about thirty seconds when a noise behind them made them all spin around. There, somehow managing to appear right behind them all, were all the Rocket members they had defeated on the lower levels.

"Thought you got rid of us, huh?" One of them sneered. "Not yet."

Ivan turned to run down the hall, but that too was blocked by about half of Team Rocket. "Uh…guys…we're surrounded…"

GhostKing swore under her breath and turned to face the group of Rockets blocking the way further into the hallway. "We're not going down without a fight. Go, everyone! Attack!"

Her Pokémon charged forward, causing Team Rocket to pull out all the Pokѐballs from their pockets and throw them. Her four were engaged in a battle where the ratio of Rocket Pokémon to her own was 12:1.

Ivan quickly contributed to the battle by charging into the middle of it with his Pokémon. A Rocket came and tried to punch him in the face, but Ivan dodged and kicked the Rocket's legs out from underneath him. The Rocket member fell and nearly got trampled by GhostKing's Typhlosion.

That was about when the fight suddenly stopped.

The Rockets backed up and the ones blocking the way back into the 11th floor split to allow a man to come and meet the challengers face to face.

"So you are the cause of all this commotion." He said slowly, an evil smirk playing on his face. "I would think this Team would dispose of you quickly."

Ivan didn't know who this guy was, but the G.A.T.R. members seemed to. All three of them backed up slightly with evil looks on their faces. Kaylee spoke first. "Giovanni." She hissed. "I should have known."

Giovanni sneered, "You are foolish to challenge me."

GhostKing sharply clicked her tongue, startling some Rocket members. Her Espeon ran over to her and both of them vanished in a split second.

"Coward." Giovanni hissed. "I'm disgusted by how G.A.T.R. will allow such spineless vermin to join their gathering."

Kaylee ground her teeth, obviously trying to hold back a nasty response. Giovanni calmly drew a Pokѐball out of his pocket. "But sense you are here, I challenge you."

Ivan glanced at his Pokémon, who seemed eager to fight. "Just you, no one else…against us?" He asked.

Giovanni tossed the Pokѐball up and down in the air, all the while glaring at him with the most evil smile Ivan had ever seen. "No. All against you. Prove that G.A.T.R. is stronger that Team Rocket."

Ivan's Pokémon seemed to lose the fight in them. They all gaped at Giovanni like he was mad…and he probably was.

** MEANWHILE**…

GhostKing and Eclipse appeared outside the Pokémon center. They both ran in as fast as possible, pulled the secret book out of the bookshelf, and went darting down the stairs. "ANYONE! TEAM ROCKET…GIOVANNI! IN SILPH CO.!"

Trevor stuck his head around the corner. "What?"

"You heard me!" GhostKing yelled. "Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket! He's got Kaylee, Jake and Ivan surrounded! I need anyone who can fight! There's a lot of Rockets up there too!"

Instantly a kid with jet-black hair, brown eyes, blue jeans and a green vest stepped forward. "I can fight." He said. The Pikachu sitting on his shoulder agreed and ran for the door.

"Anyone else?" GhostKing yelled. "Anyone?"

Trevor, Sabrina, Bill and Misty came forward too. "Together we have a chance." Misty said, looking determined. "But that depends if Ash doesn't fall down the stairs again."

The kid described 11 sentences ago turned a bright shade of pink. "I fell because you _tripped_ me…"

"No matter. Come on! Let's give th't Team Rocket a good whuppin'!" Bill said, rolling up his sleeves and cracking his knuckles loudly.

** MEANWHILE…**.

"CHARIZARD! CATCH!" Ivan threw the Quick Claw at his Charizard, who caught it and began slicing Team Rocket's Pokémon left and right. At least six were felled before Giovanni's Rhyhorn challenged it.

"FLAMETHROWER!" Ivan shouted. His Charizard instantly sent a torrent of flame at its opponent, but it dodged.

"Horn Attack!" Giovanni countered. The Rhyhorn charged at Charizard and slammed him into a wall.

"CHARIZARD!" Ivan screamed. His Charizard didn't move…

"Again, Rhyhorn! Finish it off!" Giovanni smiled an unnaturally wide smile, sending chills down Ivan's spine.

"NO! RETURN!" Ivan recalled his Charizard at the last second before the Rhyhorn could attack again. But sense it had charged at the Charizard before Ivan recalled it, it still was running…until it rammed its head into a wall and got stuck like that.

"What…?" Giovanni's face went from delighted/evil to shocked/disgusted.

"Gengar, attack it! Hypnosis and Dream Eater!" Ivan screamed.

Meanwhile, Jake, Kaylee and the rest of GhostKing's Pokémon were winning against the who-knows-how-many-Rockets. Soon there were only a few left…and then they were gone.

There was a moment of silence in the room that Giovanni broke by laughing.

"You think you've won, do you?" He snickered. "Well, you were wrong. That was only one wave of Pokémon. There's at least four more."

With that, the Rockets called out to battle another of their Pokémon. Kaylee's eyes got wide and Jake nearly dropped the Pokѐball he was holding.

"ATTA-"

"GIOVANNI!"

Everyone spun around to look towards the stairs, where five people were standing. One of them was GhostKing.

"So _you_ think you've won, then?" GhostKing said. "I don't think so! Far from it, if you ask me, loser!"

"Yah! Ya ain't gonna win _dis_ round!" Bill added. "G.A.T.R.'s still strong!"

With that, they charged forward. Team Rocket quickly turned their attention to them and the battle resumed. Ivan turned back to where Giovanni was, but he had vanished.

"Wha…?" He glanced around, but there was no sign of the Rocket leader. That was when someone let loose a loud scream…

"RETREAT!"

The Rockets recalled their Pokémon and ran for the stairs; GhostKing's Typhlosion and Pidgeot chasing after them and either catching their hair on fire or pecking at their heads.

Ivan's ears were ringing, but other than that there was no other sound.

"That went well." Ash said slowly.

"You should have seen us two minuets ago." Jake said.

"Come on! We have to save the president." GhostKing darted off down the hall with everyone closely following her. They came to a door and Kaylee opened it.

"Go away!" A woman screamed. "I told you, we don't have it!"

"It's all right." Sabrina stepped forward. "We're from G.A.T.R.."

"Y…you drove the Rockets away?" the woman asked. "They're gone? It's safe to go back out now?"

"Yeah." Misty said. "Why were they here in the first place?"

"They were after the Master Ball; a Pokѐball that could catch any Pokémon without fail." Said an old man. He held out a purple Pokѐball that had a giant letter M on the front. "But we didn't know what they wanted it for, exacally…"

"They wanted to catch Mewtwo." Ivan said. "What they'd do with him, I dunno, but one thing's for sure…if they get the world's most powerful Pokémon things could get bad."

The Silph Co. President looked shocked. "I…I thought that Mewtwo wasn't in this region anymore!"

"Ah did too." Bill muttered. "But if he's returned…"

"But why?" Ash asked. "I've had a run in with that guy, and it wasn't very good."

"Well…" Misty thought for a second.

"Well what?" Kaylee asked.

"Isn't the lab place over in Cinnabar?"

"Yeah…why?" Bill asked.

"Do you think there's any clue there?"

"Misty, the place blew up. There wasn't a single survivor." Sabrina said. "And as far as anyone knows, there's nothing left but ashes."

"But there's gotta be records or something…right?"

"The Pokémon Mansion."

Everyone looked at GhostKing. "Yeah…the mansion! There's bound to be records there…"

"But what does records have to do with Mewtwo returning and things like that?" Ivan asked.

"Maybe he wants revenge…?" Jake wondered.

"On Giovanni?" Trevor asked, looking concerned.

"They did meet up, didn't they?" Ash looked excited. "Maybe Mewtwo wants to kill Giovanni or something!"

"Don't get yer hopes up, kid." Bill said.

"Well, one thing's for sure, Mewtwo is definitely part of this." Sabrina said. "But what does this have to do with Team Rocket and the Death Poison?"

Everyone stood there for a few seconds.

"They want to take out the only Pokémon that can cure anything of the poison." GhostKing said. "Mewtwo's the only Pokémon that can cure others of the poison…I'm sure of it!"

"And as an added bonus when they catch Mewtwo…" Kaylee began

"…they can rule the world." Jake finished.

The Silph Co. president handed Ivan the Master Ball. "I have a feeling you're going to need it, buddy. Just…don't go spreading the word that we give out free stuff."


	8. Chapter 8

_** CHAPTER 8**_

"Where was Mewtwo last spotted?" Ivan asked as the group ran out of Silph Co..

It was beginning to get dark, and hardly anyone was wondering the city. Ash let his Pikachu climb up onto his head. "Cinnabar. He returned there for a while, and that's where I met him."

"How the heck are we gonna get to Cinnabar?" Misty asked, checking a map. "It's on the other side of the region!"

"Stripes!" GhostKing called. Her Pidgeot flew over to her and landed by her feet. "This is how."

"I got a bike." Ash said.

"The bike you owed me sense forever, practically." Misty growled.

"Ok, well, you get the point. First stop, the Pokémon Center. Second stop, Cinnabar." GhostKing said.

After everyone had bought a ton of Revives, and Potions, they set off. Sabrina teleported to the island and GhostKing was the second to reach Cinnabar, as she was flying. Kaylee and Jake, after much running, made it to the ocean. There, she rode her Milotic to the island while he rode his Gyarados. Ivan and Trevor flew on their Charizards, and reached Cinnabar shortly after GhostKing did. Misty arrived riding on her Starmie. Ash showed up after finally convincing his Charizard to fly over the ocean. Bill arrived by Vaporeon and was the last in the group.

"Ok. Now what?" Ash asked.

"Pokémon Mansion." Kaylee pointed to where a huge, burnt out building stood a little ways away from the Center. "Be on your guard…I've heard that there's robbers and thieves here."

With that, the brave band of unfortunate kids set off.

"It's dark in here…" Jake muttered as they entered. "I see why most sane people avoid it…"

GhostKing gave a shout and jumped backwards as something at her feet moved. Everyone quickly backed up while calling on their Pokémon. There was a second of tension that seemed to hang in the air before Sabrina announced, "Don't attack."

Bill's Flareon stepped forward to light the room up a bit. There, curled at GhostKing's feet, was a beautiful Arcanine. But it wasn't moving.

"Death Poison." GhostKing hissed. "Team Rocket's been here recently."

"Very recently."

The group spun around to see the leader of the Team…

"Giovanni." Ivan growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." Giovanni sneered. "But if you hand over the Master Ball no one will get hurt and you can take that Arcanine somewhere safe."

Everyone looked slightly stunned. "N…no! Never!" Bill shouted. "Ya think you're so great an' all, but ya wouldn' stand fur very long in ah fight!"

"So you're asking for….a rematch?" Giovanni asked, amused.

"Yeah…yeah, Ah am!"

"Fine then. Go, Rhyhorn."

The G.A.T.R. members, trainers, Gym Leaders, and Collector chose their strongest and most fierce Pokémon.

"Go, Pikachu!"

"Let 'em have it, Sandslash!"

"Gengar, go!"

"Go, Starmie!"

"Show 'em what we got, Feraligatr!"

"Take him down, Dusk!"

"Flareon! ATTACK!"

"Charizard!"

"Empoleon! Go!"

The battle had begun.

The Rhyhorn charged at the nearest foe, who was Pikachu. Ash screamed just before the Rhyhorn would have knocked his Pokémon out, "PIKACHU! AGILITY!"

With only milliseconds to spare, his Pikachu leapt over the Rhyhorn's head and onto its back. The Rhyhorn was clueless to where the Pikachu had gone off to, giving the other Pokémon a chance to attack. All attacks hit it dead on. Giovanni called it back into its Pokѐball.

"You're stupid to take us all on like this!" Ivan taunted. "You're no match for us!"

The Mansion suddenly shook. A vase fell over and broke. Pokémon that had been hiding in the shadows ran for cover. Everyone spun around when a huge BANG sounded behind them. The entire earthquake thing lasted less than ten seconds, but it did do some slight damage.

"What happened?" Kaylee asked.

"Earthquake?" Misty suggested.

"I dunno…"

"Hey!" Sabrina shouted, causing everyone to turn around again. "He's gone! Giovanni!"

"The coward." GhostKing hissed. "No matter. Come on, we should search the place."

"What about the Arcanine?" Ivan asked.

GhostKing looked sadly at the motionless Pokémon. "We were already too late."


	9. Chapter 9

_** CHAPTER 9**_

After much wondering around and arguing, everyone eventually split up. GhostKing and Ivan went one way, Kaylee and Jake went another, Trevor and Bill; Misty and Ash. Sabrina offered to go alone to try to find Mewtwo's (Or anyone else's) presence.

"It's so empty." Ivan muttered as GhostKing quickly looked at a statue of a Nidoking. "And a bit spooky. I think someone's going to jump out and attack us."

"No one would be dumb enough." GhostKing said, flipping something on the statue. A door behind them opened while the one in front closed. "Aha! So that's what those do!"

She and Ivan carefully made their way down another hallway to some more stairs. After climbing up a level, they came to a lone figure staring down into a dark abyss near a window.

"It's strange…" He muttered. "…how after all the careful research and development, something can go wrong."

"Well, that's what always happens." Ivan spoke.

The guy didn't even turn around. He laughed slowly instead. "We lost _everything_…"

"Who are you?" GhostKing asked. Her Umbreon didn't take its bloodred gaze off of the weird guy. "Why are you here?"

"I'll tell you if you win." The guy spun around. "Go, Magnimite and Voltorb!"

"Go, Dusk!"

"Get him, Charizard!" Ivan yelled. "Use Flamethrower on Magnimite!"

His Charizard sent a stream of flame at the Magnimite, burning it and causing a one hit KO.

"Voltorb! Use Screech on the Umbreon!" The guy shouted.

Dusk was ready. In one smooth move, he leapt over the Voltorb…

"Use Tackle!" GhostKing shouted.

Dusk landed on the Voltorb's head, causing another one hit KO. The guy, apparently very annoyed and mad, recalled his Pokémon. "If you really must know, I'm Scientist Parker."

"And what are you doing here?" Ivan asked as he and GhostKing recalled their Pokémon.

"This Mansion is great for experimenting in, am I right?" Parker motioned around. "But if you're stuck finding doors and stuff to go into, I suggest looking down here."

Ivan and GhostKing looked down the dark abyss in front of them, expecting to see some stairs that they could remember to go to. "Um…I don't-"

Parker reached over and pushed them both over.

"AAAAARGGHHH!"

They fell for what must have been about four seconds but felt like forty. Ivan landed on his side and instantly thought he broke every bone possible to break…but he didn't, thank goodness.

"Are you all right?" GhostKing asked. "That didn't hurt as much as I thought it would…"

"Yeah….I'm fine…just really scared right now."

It was dark where they were, but Ivan quickly found a light switch and lit it up.

They were in a long hallway filled with beautiful wooden floors and walls. Weird lanterns lit the hallway, and the rooms weren't really rooms, more like working cubicles. GhostKing went into the first cubical and began going through a filing cabinet.

"Find anything?" Ivan asked.

"Not yet." GhostKing looked for a bit more before drawing out a paper marked TOP SECRET.

"What's it say?" Ivan asked as she read it over.

"It's…notes…on Mewtwo and Mew." GhostKing handed the paper to him. "Apparently Mewtwo was made from the eyebrow of a Mew."

"Weird." Ivan read the paper over. "Also it says that he was vicious and hostile."

"Gee, I wonder why." GhostKing glanced around again. "Wait here, I'll go look for more important stuff."

With that, she ran off, leaving Ivan to finish reading and be alone.

He eventually began to go through the cabinet, looking for anything else on Mewtwo, Team Rocket, or the Death Poison. He found nothing.

About ten minuets later GhostKing came back with another paper. "Listen to this." She gasped. "This was dated about 24 hours ago… 'Sighted by Three Island was what people think was Mewtwo. Why he had returned, no one knows, but they do know that he was looking for someone…or something.'"

"Three Island?" Ivan asked.

"Yeah, it's a little further off from Cinnabar." GhostKing said.

"So is that where we head off to?"

"Apparently. We should find the others and leave as soon as possible."

** ONE FERRY TRIP LATER**…

"Aaagh, Ah feel sick!" Bill groaned, stepping off the boat. "Thi's why Ah never ride those things!"

"Did it say _where_ on Three Island, by any chance?" Trevor asked, glancing around.

"No. It just said 'Sighted on Three Island'." GhostKing sighed.

"There's a forest here. The Berry one." Ash said. "Maybe he'll be in there."

"One thing…" Ivan asked. "What happens when we actually find him? Do we attack, or beg for him to come back to the Centers and heal everyone with the Death Poison?"

"We have a Master Ball, don't we?" Misty asked.

"Yeah…" Ivan muttered.

"Then that's what we'll use."

The group started off towards the Berry Forest.

It wasn't the biggest forest, or the smallest. It was just big enough to hide the world's most powerful Pokémon along with other, weaker Pokémon.

"WHAAA!" Jake yelled as a Rattata leapt out of the bushes and fastened itself in his hair. "GET IT OFF!"

Kaylee grabbed the Rattata's tail and managed to pry it off of Jake's head and throw it in the bushes. "I don't remember Pokémon attacking us outright like that…" she muttered.

"Me neither." Sabrina said. Everyone followed her gazed to where an old oak tree was standing.

"Nice tree. Now can we move on?" Misty asked, sounding annoyed.

Sabrina ignored her and walked to the tree's base. There, among its roots was a small hat that must have belonged to a young trainer just starting off on their Pokémon journey.

"Who's is that?" Ash asked.

"I don't know…but their presence is strong here. They couldn't have been here more than ten minuets ago…" Sabrina stood up, still clutching the hat, and spun around. "Who's there?"

Everyone in the group jumped a mile, thinking that Mewtwo had finally shown up. Instead, ten Rocket members came out from their hiding places that were behind trees, rocks, and bushes. Most of them had Pokѐballs in their hands, but one was tightly gripping the wrist of a young kid.

"We meet again, G.A.T.R.." Giovanni sneered. The kid tried stepping on his toes, but Giovanni didn't seem to notice.

"Let that kid go!" Sabrina yelled so suddenly that everyone jumped slightly. "What do you want?"

"I want that Master Ball." Giovanni said. "How about this…we'll do a trade. The kid for the Ball."

"He's crazy!" The kid yelled. "He said he's gonna catch Mewtwo! That's impossible! You gotta help me! They took my Pokémon and won't give them back!"

"You want the Master Ball, Team Rocket?" GhostKing hissed, tossing a Pokѐball up into the air and catching it again. "Then fight for it!"

All ten of the Rocket members had six Pokémon. The group was outnumbered, but more skilled.

The battle began. There was a mix of green Grimers and normal purple ones, but the purple ones seemed to stray back from the group and use moves to benefit the green ones. With the upped stat changes, the green Grimers were more deadly than all the others that the group had ever faced.

Kaylee had all six of her Pokémon out and fighting at once, and she was screaming orders left and right. Her Pokémon formed a small circle around Ivan, who was the main prize of the battle.

"Ivan, listen to me." Misty said in-between giving orders and shouting. "You have the Master Ball, right? Get out of here. Fly back to Cinnabar, and we'll meet you there!"

"I can't leave you!" Ivan protested, shouting some commands at his own Pokémon. "We have to stick together, don't we?"

"Not this time." Misty hissed. "Just confuse them, and come back here, if you really want to."

Ivan recalled his Pokémon and ran over to Ash, who was nearest. After a brief discussion Ivan turned and ran.

"He's getting away!" Giovanni shouted as Ivan hopped onto his Charizard and took off to the skies. "After him!"

The Rockets recalled their Pokémon and darted after the now fading speck in the sky, completely forgetting about the young trainer they had captive. The kid quickly spotted some dropped Pokѐballs, gathered them up, and ran away.

Within seconds, the group was left alone.

"That was a good plan." Ash smiled and took the Master Ball out of his pocket. "I didn't know if you saw him give me this."

"I didn't even know that's what he did." Misty growled. "Stupid boy, if he had been caught giving the Ball to you…"

"Yeah…well…anyway, he should be back in about two minuets." Ash continued. "So in that time, I think we should…"

He was cut off by a startled yell of a nearby Pokémon. Everyone in the group froze. The forest seemed to get darker….and…were those red eyes peering at them through the leaves?

"Who's there?" GhostKing demanded.

"_I should be asking you that._"

Everyone in the group backed up slightly as Mewtwo stepped into the clearing.

** WITH IVAN**…

"YEEEAAAAH!"

Ivan and his Charizard were flying as fast as they could through the skies. They had lost all visual on Team Rocket about ten minuets ago, but they weren't going to go back until they were certain that they were gone.

After landing in Viridian City and buying a couple of Revives, Ivan and his Charizard started their journey back.

Halfway there something shot at them from the water. Charizard turned sharply to the left and rolled, nearly sending Ivan into the rough waters below.

"AAAGH!"

Something else shot at them but once again, Charizard dodged…but this time just barely.

"Fly lower and use Flamethrower!" Ivan commanded, trying to get back onto Charizard's back.

They spotted their attackers; two Seadras. As they dived at them their eyes got wide and they vanished under the surface.

"Good." Ivan growled. "That'll teach 'em to-"

He was cut off by a huge wave that seemed to originate from nothing. His Charizard had no time to change direction and flew directly into it.

Ivan managed to recall his Pokémon, but the huge wave crashed into him, sending him under the surface and spinning. He managed to find which way was up, and struggled to the surface.

"There he is!"

"Get him!"

Two Rocket members were coming at him, each on their Seadras and holding two more Pokѐballs in their hands.

Ivan took a deep breath and dived under the surface and swam like all heck was after him.

** THE OTHER GUYS**…

The group was sort of stunned, to say the least. They didn't expect Mewtwo to just show up like that.

"We are G.A.T.R. members," Kaylee started. "and we're here to stop Team Rocket and rid our Pokémon of the Death Poison."

Mewtwo gave her a cold stare. "_Death Poison?_"

"A condition that can't be removed even after healing." Jake said. "So far many Pokémon have been infected and many more have died. We think you're the only one who can heal them."

Mewtwo gave a short nod. "_If you just want me to heal them, then why does one of you have the unfailing Pokѐball_?"

Everyone looked at Ash, who looked guilty and dropped the Master Ball on the ground. "That…that was just in case. We're sort of desperate."

Mewtwo nodded again. "_I will help you rid the Pokémon of the Poison and stop Team Rocket. But only on one condition._"

"Which is…?" Misty asked.

"_No one, under any circumstance, will ever try to find me again._"

"Deal." GhostKing said immeadentally. "Now-"

She was cut off as a vine whipped from out of some plants, curled around the Master Ball at Ash's feet, and reeled it in. From behind the plants came Giovanni and a Rocket member, both with evil grins on their faces. "We always win, GhostKing." The member hissed.

GhostKing clenched her hands into fists. "Jonathan!"

"You got that right." The member sneered. "Now, Giovanni! Let's take Mewtwo and rule the world!"

Giovanni threw the Master Ball but Sabrina stepped into the way and knocked it aside. Jake made a lunge for it, but missed by a few centimeters. The Ball bounced back to Giovanni.

"I suggest you move out of the way or when I have Mewtwo…let's just say that I won't go easy on you." Giovanni hissed.

Mewtwo's eyes glowed red for a few seconds and then Giovanni was thrown backwards into a tree. He got back up slowly, still holding the Master Ball.

"You'll have to do better than that. Go, attack!"

With that, both Giovanni and Jonathan let all the Pokémon they owned out to fight.

"Attack!" The G.A.T.R. members shouted, countering with their own Pokémon.

No one had a chance to do anything because Mewtwo calmly snapped his fingers and all the Rocket's Pokémon fainted on the spot.

Jonathan and Giovanni both cursed at the same time. "We'll be back!"

An unexplainable force picked them off the ground and brought them around to face Mewtwo. Mewtwo's eyes glowed a fierce red and he said in a surprisingly calm voice, "_So you are Rocket members…_"

Jonathan's eyes were wide and he didn't look about to blink. Giovanni had sort of a sick pleasure in his eyes and before anyone could do anything, he threw the Master Ball over Mewtwo's head.

Everyone watched as it bounced once toward a bush and another Rocket Member popped out and hit the ball back at Mewtwo.

The Master Ball rocked once….twice….thrice….

Caught.


	10. Chapter 10

_**CHAPTER 10**_

Giovanni and Jonathan fell to the ground and quickly reached for the Master Ball. Giovanni shoved Jonathan to the side and held the Ball up for the G.A.T.R. members to see.

"This is what you put your faith in?" He roared. "A Pokémon…a Pokémon that can be caught like any other, one way or another! Now…go, Mewtwo! Show them that Team Rocket is superior! _Kill_ them!"

Everyone tensed for the worst. And the worst came.

In one Psywave most of their Pokémon were knocked out. In another only Ash's Pikachu was left.

"VOLT TACKLE!" Ash commanded, but even his Pikachu knew it was a losing battle. In another Psywave, the Pikachu was out like the rest of the Pokémon.

"It's hopeless." Kaylee yelled. "We can't win!"

"It's not hopeless!" GhostKing shouted back. "We still have our Secret Weapon!"

Giovanni stared at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we still have out Secret Weapon."

And that was when a Pokѐball fell out of the sky and opened to reveal a Gengar.

** WITH IVAN**…

Ivan resurfaced again, took a huge gulp of air, and dived back down. Behind him, the Rocket members and their Seadras were gaining on him. This just wasn't a very good day.

When Ivan took another gasp for air one of them grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him onto the Seadra.

"You're going nowhere," The Rocket hissed. "except to our boss!"

Ivan did the bravest and probably most trickiest thing he had ever done. He managed to stand on the back of the Seadra, evade the Rocket as he tried to pull him down, throw a Pokѐball in the air and jump onto his Charizard's back as his Pokémon took flight. Behind him, he could hear the Rockets yelling, but he didn't turn back.

"Now to where we need to meet back up with the others!" Ivan shouted. "Go, Charizard!"

They flew back to the others in lightning speed. But when they reached them, Ivan got a nasty surprise…He watched the Master Ball catch Mewtwo.

"Oh, this isn't gonna be good…" He muttered, drawing a Pokѐball out of his pocket and muttering, "Use Perish Song." Before throwing it down.

** THE OTHERS**…

GhostKing was very glad she could see very well, otherwise she would not have seen Ivan circling the clearing up in the sky. And just as she thought he would, he threw down a Pokѐball. What happened next was more than she had expected. When the Gengar popped out of the Pokѐball, it used Perish Song, a move that would make all effected Pokémon faint after three moves.

"What? Do you honestly think that that puny move can stop me? The leader of Team Rocket, the best Gym Leader in all of-" Giovanni was cut off as something hit his wrist, causing him to drop the Master Ball, where it rolled over to Jake's feet. The thing that hit his wrist was another Pokѐball, and a Sandslash hopped out, looking ready to battle.

Meanwhile the Perish count fell to 2 for Gengar and Mewtwo.

"Who's laughing now?" Jake taunted, but he quickly was terrified as Mewtwo tried to take the Master Ball from him by flinging him into a tree.

"HOLD ON, JAKE!" Misty yelled, running over to him and grabbing his arm. That did nothing, and the two of them were being thrown around the clearing as they desperately tried to hold onto the Ball.

And the Perish count fell to 1.

"Come on, Mewtwo! Take what rightfully belongs to me away from them!" Giovanni hissed. "Take it and destroy them!"

Sabrina's eyes glowed a red to match Mewtwo's and Jake and Misty stopped flying around the air less intensely. It was clear that Sabrina possessed some powerful Psychic abilities.

Taking that distraction, the Sandslash slashed at Mewtwo, breaking his concentration. Jake and Misty fell heavily to the ground and the Master Ball bounced into some bushes. Mewtwo and Ash dived for it.

The Perish count fell to 0.

Both Mewtwo and Gengar fainted and Ash reached the Master Ball and recalled Mewtwo. "Told you, Giovanni. Good guys win."

Giovanni's face was bright red. Jonathan's was pale, like he couldn't believe what was happening. Ash had a slightly evil grin on his face, making him look like some sort of maniac.

That was when Ivan fell from the sky and landed in a tree.

"Wow, that was farther than I thought…" He muttered, climbing down. "So, did it work? I saw you guys in the clearing and Mewtwo and…oh, we got the Ball. Good. Now let's go heal all the Pokémon!"

After a very Ha-We-Beat-You-Again-You-Should-Have-Never-Joined-Team-Rocket ish smile, GhostKing had teleported back to the nearest Pokémon Center and the others followed.

** LATER**…

"That ruled!" Bill exclaimed when all their Pokémon had been healed. "We should do th't again more often!"

"I think not." Sabrina muttered.

"Well…I think we should head back to the Center with that secret passageway and heal all those Pokémon now." Trevor suggested.

"We should. See you there." GhostKing teleported out.

After everyone found means of transportation they all met on the front mat of the Center. "Well, GhostKing, you can get your Growlithe and Lucario back now." Ivan said.

"I can't wait." GhostKing sighed. "It's been a long, long time, it seems."

They all trooped down into the secret passage as happy as they could be…until they turned the corner.

"Give us the Master Ball and no one gets hurt."

The G.A.T.R. group was taken by surprise as the scientist in a long white lab coat blocked their path. GhostKing looked ready to beat this girl, whoever she was.

"Viva, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to take the Master Ball away from you and give it to someone worthy enough to wield it. Hand it over, and no one gets hurt…and we won't let your Pokémon die."

It was only then that the group realized that the healing unit that GhostKing's Lucario and Growlithe were in was turned off. They were going to die unless someone did something.

"NO!" GhostKing yelled. "HOW COULD YOU?"

"Just give us the Master Ball. How much time do they have left?" Viva called into the room, where another Rocket member was guarding Nurse Joy and a couple of Trainers.

"Less than five minuets." He muttered.

Ivan didn't know what to do. He sure as heck didn't want GhostKing's Pokémon to die, but it looked like they had no choice. It was either save her Pokémon…or the world.

"Here."

With a look of defeat, Ash handed the Master Ball to Viva. She smiled a sick smile and turned to the other Rocket member. "Turn that thing back on. Believe me, they'll need those Pokémon in the future."

"You're not getting away that easily, though." Ivan said, drawing two Pokѐballs out of his pockets. "We're not going down without a fight."

"Have it your way." Viva looked eager for a challenge. "Go, Mewtwo. Show these rebels their place."

"Give it all you've got." Jake whispered nearly silently as his three Pokémon appeared on the ground in front of him. "We've got to prove that we're still strong."

GhostKing's six, Bill's six, Ivan's six, Jake's three, Trevor's three, Sabrina's four, Misty's two, and Ash's six all tried as best as they could to not show their fear as they faced off against the World's Strongest Pokémon. They would be fighting a battle they cannot possibly win.

Trevor made the first move. "Charizard! Flamethrower!"

All at once, everyone began shouting attacks. In the small room, the sound was magnified and the battle intensified. Nurse Joy, the couple of Trainers, and the Rocket member all ducked into another room to escape.

After the first barrage of attacks and when the smoke cleared from Trevor's Flamethrower, Mewtwo was still standing there as if nothing had happened. The purple shield around him and Viva faded.

"You'll have to do better than that." Viva smirked.

"Use Dig!" Bill commanded at his Flareon. In a flash, it had dug a hole in the ground and vanished.

"Stripes, Fly!" GhostKing said. Her Pidgeot flew up to the roof and then dived at Mewtwo at lightning speed. Even he couldn't block it and was thrown into the wall.

"Dig! NOW!" Bill shouted, and his Flareon jumped out of the hole it had dug and pounced at Mewtwo, knocking it back into the wall as it tried to get up.

All the G.A.T.R. Trainer's voices mixed together as they gave orders while Mewtwo was still down.

Surprisingly, Viva let Mewtwo take the hits. Once the attacks subsided, she smirked, "Revive."

"NOW WAIT ONE DARNED SEC'ND!" Bill yelled. "Th't's cheatin'!"

"Psychic!" Viva commanded.

Everyone shouted at the same time, "DODGE!"

Most of GhostKing's Pokémon dodged the attack, but Jake's stood firm to take the hit for Ivan's. They didn't seem to feel the attack.

That was when Sabrina whispered something to her Gastly. It nodded, and began to spread the word among the Pokémon. Soon everyone except the Trainers seemed to know the great plan.

"Um, Sabrina, what exacally did you tell them?" Ivan asked nervously.

"Tackle!" Sabrina shouted, and everyone's Pokémon charged at Mewtwo.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?" Everyone yelled at the same time, but it was too late to change her mind.

Mewtwo easily whacked GhostKing's Umbreon to the side along with Ivan's Sandslash. But the remaining Pokémon ignored him…and headed straight for Viva.

"What?" She yelled. "Mewtwo! Help!"

Eclipse leapt into the air, aimed straight for Viva's hand…the one clutching the Master Ball. Eclipse swatted at her hand, but Mewtwo's shield was put up and she was bounced backwards towards her Trainer.

The other Pokémon slashed away at the shield because they knew from experience with other Psychic Pokémon that it couldn't last forever. While all this commotion was going on Sabrina whispered to the others, "Get Viva to drop the Master Ball. If we destroy it, Mewtwo will be free and Team Rocket can be stopped."

"Well, DUH." Misty facepalmed. "Man, I'm dumb! Why didn't I think of that ten minuets ago!"

"If we have to, we'll all rush at her." Ivan looked really determined not to lose. "And we'll beat her for it!"

"Um…yeah…what he said." Ash said lamely.

There was sort of a mini explosion and all the Pokémon were sent flying backwards. Mewtwo's shield had gone out with a bang…literally.

"Good try, but not good enough." Viva pulled a Pokѐball out of her pocket. "Go, Muk. Destroy them!"

A dark green Muk appeared next to Mewtwo. "Death Poison…" Trevor mumbled. "Take it out before it takes us out."

"Flareon, use Dig!" Bill commanded. His Flareon ducked underground again but he never used the final part of the attack.

"What are you waiting for?" Viva taunted. "Scared? You should be."

"Pikachu, Agility!" Ash commanded.

There was a flash of fire, water, grass, and darkness as all the attacks seemed to combine into one. Mewtwo, the Muk, and Viva were thrown into the wall. They instantly got up and Viva commanded Mewtwo to use Revive again. That was when Bill completed the Dig attack. His Flareon sprung up out of the ground at Viva's feet and grabbed the Master Ball in its mouth.

"DIG! QUICKLY!" Bill shouted.

Viva, being as desperate as she was for the Master Ball, tried to grab the Flareon's tail as it dug. All she got for her efforts were second degree burns. While she was screaming, Mewtwo decided to take matters into his own hands and find that Flareon.

With another powerful Psychic attack, the Flareon was launched out of the ground and thrown at Bill's face. Both Pokémon and Trainer hit the wall and sort of lay there, stunned. The Flareon dropped the Master Ball and Ivan picked it up.

"Give that back!" Viva screamed. "Now!"

Ivan found that he couldn't control his legs as he walked over to her. "W…what? I…I can't turn around!"

"Throw it here!" GhostKing shouted.

Ivan threw the Master Ball at her and she tossed it on the ground where she brought her foot down on it as hard as she could.

It broke into three pieces.

"NOOO!" Viva wailed. "NOOOO! HOW COULD YOU? MUK, USE POISON GAS! KILL THEM ALL!"

Mewtwo blinked briefly and then stood in the way of the Muk. "_You've caused enough damage here. Leave now or I will hunt you all down and kill you, one by one. From this point on, Team Rocket is finished!_"

Viva recalled he Muk and ran for the stairs, the other Rocket member chasing after her.

"Well, that went well." Trevor said, glancing around the room that was soaking wet, brunt, and had bits and pieces of grass lying around. "So now let's heal the Pokémon and get out of here."

The group walked into the room with the healing chamber. Nurse Joy gently took Skeebee from it and handed him to GhostKing. Mewtwo's eyes glowed a bright blue, and then Skeebee cracked open his eyes and glanced around as if to say, Ok-What-The-Heck-Am-I-Doing-Here?

"SKEEBEE!" GhostKing yelled happily, hugging her Pokémon tight. "You're ok now! The Poison's gone!"

Skeebee licked her face and then jumped out of her arms and ran around in circles, yipping happily. Everyone smiled.

Meanwhile, Mewtwo was working on healing GhostKing's Lucario. After a second or two, he opened his eyes and gave everyone a look similar to Skeebee's WTH look.

"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner." GhostKing said. "We were trying to find Team Rocket's base…"

"_I know. But I'm still alive, and think that's all that matters. So this is Mewtwo?_" The Lucario asked. "_Thanks for saving us._"

"I helped too!" Ivan piped up.

Everyone smiled again. "Well, I think we should heal the other Pokémon that were infected. The sooner everyone forgets about this, the better." Nurse Joy said.


	11. Chapter 11

_**CHAPTER 11**_

Team Rocket was never heard of again. Giovanni, Viva and Jonathan were never seen again. The thought that three people could just vanish worried Ivan. It made him think that they were planning an invasion…or something possibly worse than the Death Poison. Team Rocket's base had been destroyed along with the Poison, and judging by the complicated formula thing to make the Poison it wouldn't be happening again.

Mewtwo had gone off somewhere. No one had tried to find him, and hopefully never will. G.A.T.R. was almost bored, with no Rocket members to chase after. They passed the time by opening up a training program for young Trainers to help raise their Pokémon.

"It's like the eye of the storm." GhostKing said one day. "just when you think that the danger and action and terror is over, it'll come again, just as fierce as the first time. I think Team Rocket will never truly be disbanded, just separated. Well, that's why we're here."

Ivan smiled at that quote. He knew that whenever Team Rocket decided to attack, he'd be ready.

** END**

** Wow, That was longer than I thought. 51 pages and 12 chapters on a WORD document! Anyway, review, please! This is my first Pokémon fan Fic and I want to know if I should do more!**

** Hasta la Vista, Readers!**

** Lordoftheghostking28**


End file.
